Freedom
by Serenity Dragonrider
Summary: Sequal to Survivors. Serenity is left to live on her own, without her family. She misses them a lot and she misses flying. So she builds herself a hang glider. When her family returns early with the Riders of Berk to spend the summer with her, the find the glider offensive. They think Serenity replaced them with it. They become more overprotective than ever.
1. Chapter 1

Draconia was coming out of another cold winter. Spring was in the air, and summer was just around the corner. The dragons took advantage of the warm weather at once. They went out to sea, looking for fish. The other mythical creatures that lived in the country were also coming outside after being inside for three months. The country was completely alive.

Inside the Draconian Castle, things weren't so bright. Serenity woke up feeling very sad. Today her family would head up to Berk to spend the summer with their allies. This year, she had to stay behind alone. King Re and Queen Aurora had spent the winter building a house on the shores of Silver Valley Lake. They made it just big enough for Serenity, her husband Chris, and their daughter Edelweiss. They planned to live with Serenity during the winter, and go with the rest of the family to Berk in the summer. Serenity would have to stay there all year.

Serenity liked Silver Valley Lake. It was full of activity and it was very peaceful. But this would be the first time she would have be without any of her family. It was this fact that made her dread the summer.

She sat up and leaned against her pillows. She been trying come up with ways to make her family change their minds. But didn't see any of them making a difference. It was unavoidable. She got out of bed. Chris was still asleep and she decided to leave him. She scanned her wardrobe and pulled out a plain, grey, polyester dress. She stepped behind the changing screen and changed into it. When she stepped back out, Chris was awake.

"Hey Serenity," he said.

"Hi," Serenity said quietly. Chris quickly picked on her mood, mostly because she hadn't worn grey since Ruby died. He got up and hugged her. She hugged him back.

"You going to be okay?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Serenity confessed.

"Well we're heading out in an hour," Chris said. Serenity tightened her grip on him.

"I wish this wasn't happening," she said. "I want to go with you."

"Maybe next year," said Chris. Just then Windwalker came up the stairs. Chris and Serenity stepped apart and acknowledged her.

"Hey Windwalker," said Chris.

"Oh please, don't let me interrupt you two," Windwalker said cheerfully. "I just come to tell you that the finishing touches on your house are done. We're ready when you are." Serenity backed up and sat on the bed. Both Chris and Windwalker could tell she was about to cry again. Windwalker nuzzled her cheek.

"Hey, don't cry again," she said softly. "You'll be fine." Serenity hugged the dragon's head.

"Will I ever see you guys again?" she asked.

"Sure you will," Chris said, sitting on the bed beside her. "What would give you the idea that you wouldn't?"

"You went flying once on Re," Serenity said. "And I didn't see you again for ten years." Chris wrapped an arm around her again.

"Is that what you're so afraid of?" he asked.

"Ruby died, then you were lost at sea," Serenity said. "And though I got both of you back, you're all leaving me again."

"We'll come back," said Windwalker. "You ready to head out?" Serenity sighed and drew back.

"Yeah," she said. She wiped away her tears. She and Chris got to their feet and followed Windwalker downstairs.

They met up with the other Draconians in the entrance hall. Ruby, Harmony, and Eider were among them. Serenity avoided Ruby's eyes. For so many years he was the one dragon she could always rely on. While he was on Earth, he had alway been there. Whenever she needed him, all she had to do was send for him and he would be there as fast as he could. Only just recently was Serenity able to be there for him when he got sick or injured. But now even Ruby was leaving her behind.

Ruby could see the look of betrayal on her face. He felt so guilty about leaving her behind. He wanted so badly to stay with her. But Windwalker had told him that all parents and guardians would, someday, have to let their child go out on their own. It was one of the hardest and most emotional ways to show their love. The leader of Sliver Valley, Arson, and his mate BlueSky, had promised the royal family that Serenity would be well supported. They would check on her every day, so she had someone to talk to and a shoulder to cry on.

"Hey Serenity," said Aurora. "Are you okay?" Serenity looked at the ground. She sniffed.

"Let's just go," she said. The dragons looked at each other. Serenity mounted Tenor, Chris got on Windwalker. They went outside to the lawn. Ruby, Harmony, and the children were planning to head for Berk ahead of them. Tenor looked over his wing at his rider. She looked beyond upset.

"You're going to love this place we built," he said. "We put in the prettiest spot on the lake. There's lots of flat space for a garden, and a gentle slope into the water, perfect for launching a boat."

"You gonna ruin the whole thing for her Tenor?" Re said. "Let's go already." They took off and headed southwest towards Silver Valley Lake.

Soon they flew over it. The lake was 25 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 6,000 feet deep. It was surrounded by hills, not quite tall enough to be mountains. The city of Silver Valley sat on the north end of the lake, the Dragon River ran right through it. On the south end was on of two deltas on the Dragon River, the other being where the river emptied into the ocean.

The dragons landed on the western shore, in a small cove with low hills on either side. Chris and Serenity dismounted. There were a few small trees and a few ferns. But it was mostly green grass. Serenity saw the tiniest house near one of the larger trees. It was made of brick and had a door and one large window. It was vivid electric blue, with a white door and white window frame. It had a path made of granite leading to a small L- shaped dock, where a bright red canoe waited. Serenity looked at the little blue house. It looked cosy and reminded her a bit of her house on Berk, the one she would never see again. Aurora looked at her.

"You'll find it's quite comfortable," said the queen. Serenity said nothing, she didn't even look at anyone. She pulled her medical bag of Tenor's saddle and walked silently towards the house. She opened the door and vanished inside.

"She didn't even say good bye," Tenor said.

"She hates saying good bye," Chris said. "I wish she didn't have to so often."

"In a few years she won't ever have to say good bye again," said Re. "We can be around her all day, and never have to leave her behind."

"Well, we should get going," said Windwalker.

"Do we really have to do this to her?" Chris asked.

"She'll be fine," said Windwalker. "I'm guessing by the time we get back, she'll be happy again." Chris reluctantly got back on her. The dragons turned and took off. They headed back north. Chris kept glancing back towards the lake. Windwalker noticed.

"She's probably crying now," Chris said.

"Yeah, but she won't be crying forever," said Windwalker. "It'll get easier for her. It'll take along time I'm sure."

"Next year I'm staying with her," Chris said. "I don't care what you say." Windwalker narrowed her eyes.

"Okay," she said. She thrust her wings back and caught up with the others as they headed over coast.

Serenity stood in the hallway of the house. It was a long one, with rooms branching off it. To her left was a large living room with sofas and a love seat. They were both made of brown leather. The sword Excalibur hung in its case on the wall over the stone fireplace. On the right was the kitchen with an iron stove, granite counters, and blue wooden cabinets that had the Draconian crest painted on them. At the very end of the hall was a large bedroom. Between that room and the living room on the left was another door. Serenity could kind of see into it, enough to see that it was a bedroom for Edelweiss. Right beside the front door, just before the kitchen, was a narrow staircase that went down. Curiosity got the better of her and she went down the stair.

At the bottom was a huge room, as big as the foundation of the small house. The Round Table sat in the middle, a few chairs placed around it, one of which was King Arthur's throne. On the walls were some other items from Aurora's collection. The Aegis hung on the wall along with: the Holy Lance, Poseidon's trident, and the Golden Fleece. In the farthest corner from the stairs was a china cabinet that held the Chintamani stone, the Magic Lamp, and the Cup of Life. Serenity could almost feel the magic from all these items, filling the house.

"I don't know if you magical objects can hear me," she said. "But I don't suppose you could bring them back." The items didn't answer her. She turned and went back upstairs. She went to the her bedroom and laid down on her bed. The bed was no bigger than the ones she'd slept on before, but this one seemed much bigger. She wanted so badly for Chris be laying next to her, and for Tenor to be sleeping on the floor next to it, though no adult dragon could fit inside the house. It finally it really hit her; she was alone and would be for several months. She buried her face in her pillows, and cried herself to sleep.

The rest of the family had lost sight of Draconia. They caught up with Ruby, Harmony, and the children. They were all quite for several miles. Edelweiss was very upset that her mother wasn't there.

"I want Mama," she wined.

"You can see her when we get back," Aurora said. "You'll be very busy for the next few weeks. You'll be back in you mother's arms before you know it." Edelweiss seemed to calm down slightly. Re changed the subject.

"You think these guys are old enough to try unlocking their titan wings?" he asked.

"I think Eider might be," said Windwalker. "I was his age when I unlocked mine. I'll try and unlock it, once I come up with a good challenge for him to face."

"But what if he's killed?" asked Avalon.

"Then I get to see my parents again," said Eider. "I don't fear death."

"Very nobly said," said Windwalker. "But I'm going to make sure you don't die." Eider shrugged and went back to focused on flying.

"I wonder what it will look like," Tenor said.

"It'll probably have the lighting effect that yours has," said Eider. "Along with some of a Whippertail's titan wing. It'll be interesting." Windwalker looked over her wing at her rider.

"You're awfully quiet," she said.

"I can't stop thinking about her," Chris said. "We took away her whole family. She's all alone."

"She's strong," said Windwalker. "She can make it. Then she'll have it all back." Chris sighed. They picked up seed and headed for Berk.

Serenity woke up and it was dark. There were no windows in the room so she couldn't tell what time of day it was. She rolled onto her back and glanced at the dark ceiling. She began to come up with things to do. Her family was long gone, and half her mind believed that they wouldn't come back for her, that they didn't want her anymore and that's why she alone right know. And if they didn't come back, then she wouldn't fly again. She missed flying as much as she missed her family. She wanted to fly, really badly. Perhaps Arson or BlueSky would take her flying. She planned to ask them when they checked on her. Her hopes weren't high however.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the front door. Serenity got up and went to the front door. She opened it and saw two dragons on the threshold. One was violet red with black horns, claws, and spines. The other was crystal blue with white on the edge of their wings, and sunny yellow eyes. Serenity recognized these dragons at once.

"Arson, BlueSky," she said.

"Hey, how you doing Serenity?" BlueSky asked softly. Serenity sighed sadly.

"I miss them," she said.

"We know," said Arson. "I'm sure they miss you too, a lot." Serenity wiped away her tears.

"I don't suppose either one of you could take me flying?" she asked. "I miss flying too." The two dragons looked at each other.

"We will when we have time," said Arson. "We do have a lake and town to run."

"Not to mention that we have a new hatchling to provide for," BlueSky added. "His name is Red Fern."

"Oh, congratulations," Serenity said quietly. "But when would you have time?" They looked at each other again.

"We don't know," said Arson.

"Right now?" asked Serenity.

"No, not right now," said BlueSky. "We should be heading back, Red Fern will be hungry." Serenity sighed sadly.

"I thought so," she said. She started to close the door.

"Hang on a second," said Arson. Serenity opened the door again. "I didn't say we would never take you flying, we'd love to and we certainly will. But we have other citizens to provide for, including Red Fern."

"Why don't you try out that canoe?" asked BlueSky. Serenity opened the door wider. She'd forgotten about the canoe.

"I suppose I could," she said. "I could use the distraction." This seemed to please the two dragons.

"Is there anything else we can get for you?" asked BlueSky.

"Crop seeds, flower seeds," Serenity said. She went back inside and grabbed a pen and paper. She wrote a list of crops and flowers she wanted to grow. She came back and gave the list to Arson.

"With all these distractions, hopefully I will forget about them," Serenity said.

"Why do you want to forget them?" asked BlueSky.

"So it won't be so painful," Serenity said. "Having to stay here with no family." She sniffed and wiped her tears away. "Maybe someday, a few years down the line, they will have time to be with me. Even if it's just for a few seconds."

"Do you still love them?" asked BlueSky.

"I do," said Serenity. "But that's not enough to bring them back."

"They're only going to be gone a few months," said Arson. "Then they'll come back for you."

"They'll come and visit, but they will leave again," said Serenity. "They won't ever stay."

"Yes they will," said Arson. "The king and queen plan to retire on this lake. So you'll see more of your family as time goes on."

"Well we have to go," said BlueSky. "Can't keep Red Fern waiting. You can come visit us whenever you want." Serenity took a deep breath.

"I don't know if I should get close to anyone else," she said. "They will eventually turn around and leave, I can't take it any more."

"We won't leave you," said Arson. "We live here too. Anytime you need us, come to our cave. It's right across the lake from you. You can come over in your canoe." Serenity just nodded. The dragons turned around and took off. Serenity was alone again.

She went back inside and changed her clothes. There was a walk in closet in her bedroom. Her wedding dress was on a mannequin that sat in one back corner of the closet, her glass slippers next to it. She avoided looking at it and picked out clean clothes. She changed in to a dark red shirt and kaki pants. She left the room and the house. She had nothing to eat, so breakfast was out. She would have to grow her own food, and that would take a while.

She went out onto the dock where the canoe waited. A paddle sat in it, the boat was ready to go. She took a huge breath and climbed in. She untied the boat and began paddling the canoe towards the mouth of the cove.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Draconian family finally reached Berk. The sun was up and the village was awake. The dragons landed and Chris and Edelweiss dismounted. The dragon riders gathered in the plaza to greet them. Edelweiss went up to each of their dragons like they were her aunts and uncles. The dragons nuzzled her in turn. The Berkians soon noticed that Serenity wasn't there.

"Hey guys how was you flight?" asked Hiccup.

"It was pretty quiet to be honest," said Re, stretching his wings to prevent them from cramping up.

"Where's Serenity?" asked Hiccup, spying Tenor's empty saddle.

"She had to stay in Draconia," Aurora said. "She has a habit of making herself sick or hurting herself every time someone spars or fights. It wasn't good for her. So we built her a house on the sores of Silver Valley Lake where there's almost no fighting."

"Oh, okay that makes sense," said Hiccup. But he could tell that the Draconians were really missing their healer. He wondered if they would actually get through the entire summer without needing her and her skills. He also felt bad for Serenity; all alone without her family.

"You guys sure you're going to survive the whole summer without her?" asked Astrid. "I recall occasions when someone would have died if she hadn't been there. That seems to happen a lot up here."

"We'll manage," said Aurora. "We may not be as good as she is, but she taught us all basic first aid in case she isn't present."

"And you don't miss her at all?" asked Hiccup.

"We do," said Tenor. "But she'll still be there when we get back."

"Okay," said Hiccup. The Draconians made their way up to the apple tree to rest after their long flight. The young ones still had energy to spare so they ran around the edge of the woods. Edelweiss rode on Avalon to give Black Widow a break. The dragonets were about three or four years away from being full grown. They were currently the size of a moose calf.

They played tag for about half an hour before laying down to rest. Edelweiss dismounted and laid down as well, her head resting on Avalon's back. The dragonets could tell she wasn't entirely happy. Avalon nudged her.

"You miss your mama don't you?" she said.

"Yeah," said Edelweiss.

"We miss her too," said Apollo. "Lets face it, it's because of us that our parents are doing this to her. They have to train us to be fighters and that leaves them next to no time to hang out with her."

"They spend time with her during the winter," said Black Widow. "My mother isn't cruel."

"No she's not," said Apollo. "She's trying to keep Serenity safe."

"Isn't there a way to keep her safe without her ending up alone?" asked Edelweiss. "I feel safer while training, knowing that if any of us get hurt she's there to help us."

"Same here," said Eider. "I don't feel safe trying to unlock my titan wing without a healer nearby."

"I'm training to be a healer," Edel pointed out. "So you still got me."

"Yeah, but do you have your mother's medical equipment?" asked Eider. Edel realized that she didn't.

"I know, we can refuse to train without a healer," Apollo suggested.

"And I'll refuse to unlock my titan wing without a healer," said Eider. They all agreed.

With this decision made they headed back to the tree where their elders waited. They were all worn out from flying for 24 hours. So they decided to sleep off the jet lag. They found that they couldn't stop thinking about their left behind dragon healer. They each started to come up with ways to keep her safe and happy, that didn't involve her being alone.

Back on Silver Valley Lake, Serenity felt the days go by very slowly. Every night she dreamed of her family returning early, or that they had never left. She dreamed of flying all over the world on her dragon. She was never alone in her dreams. But when she woke up and found that they were still gone, she would cry for hours until the sun rose. She missed them so much.

Everyday she took her canoe out onto the water. It helped make the days go by a bit faster. BlueSky brought over the seeds Serenity had asked for. Serenity planted them at once. She planted corn, potatoes, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, and carrots. She also planted several flowers such as: snapdragons, poppies, sunflowers, roses, daffodils, violets, daisies, irises, tulips, zinnias, forget me not flowers, honeysuckle, moon flowers, morning glories, and of course edelweiss. She planted the vegetables on one side of the house, and the flowers on the other. In just a few months her whole front yard would be covered in tons and tons of flowers. It satisfied her, now that she had things to do. But she still couldn't ignore the urge to fly. If the dragons couldn't find time to take her flying, then she would have to build her own wings like Hiccup did.

She didn't know how to build a flight suit by herself. But she remembered reading books in the Castle Library about flying machines. She'd seen pictures of the flying machines, with big dragon-like wings and complicated steering mechanisms. She had doubts about being able to build a working flying machine. Serenity decided to look through those books again, to see if there was anything in them about flying machines that were easy to build and easy to fly.

When she was done watering her garden; she got in her canoe and paddled it over to Arson's cave. She hoped that one of them could fly her to the castle to get those books. But she was disappointed when she found the cave empty. She began to think, letting the canoe drift for a minuet. She supposed she could paddle the canoe all the way to the castle, but it was a ten day journey round trip by boat. She shrugged it off though. It was still the beginning of summer and she had a long time before her family came back, plus it would keep her from thinking about them.

She paddled back to the house to gather supplies. When she got there, she tied the canoe down and ran into the house. She still didn't have any food, her crops hadn't grown yet. This was a problem. She was loosing a lot of weight. She planned to stop in Silver Valley City and see if there was any food there. She gathered up her camping gear and her medical bag and went back out to the boat. She got in and paddled away. Her garden was in good hands. There was plenty of water and sunlight for it. She steered the boat out of the cove and up the lake towards the city.

It was almost sunset by the time she reached it. The air was filled with fireflies, ferries skipped across the water like insects and glowing as brightly as the fireflies. Dragons flew overhead. They didn't pay her any heed. Serenity ignored them as well. But suddenly Arson and BlueSky landed on the water near the canoe.

"Hey Serenity," said Arson. "Where you off too."

"The Castle Library," said Serenity. "There's a book on flight that I want to get. I went to your cave to ask for a ride, but you weren't there."

"We were out hunting," said Arson. "You still want a ride? It's a pretty long boat ride to the castle."

"All right," said Serenity. "Let me dock this." She paddled over to a nearby fallen tree. She jumped out and tied the boat to the tree. The two dragons glided over and landed beside her. She mounted Arson and they took off again.

They flew to Bluegreen and landed on one of the stone bridges of the castle. Serenity dismounted and went inside. She made her way to the library. She went inside and began looking for the book on flight. She remembered where she'd put it last time. She found it and pulled it off the shelf. She left the library and rejoined the two dragons out on the bridge. She mounted Arson again, and they took off.

They landed back at Silver Valley, where the canoe was waiting. Serenity got off and got into the boat.

"Thank you," she said. Suddenly her stomach rumbled, drawing the attention of the two dragons.

"When was the last time you ate something?" asked BlueSky. Serenity thought back.

"Day before they left," she said. "There's no food in that house and my crops haven't grown yet."

"Well, some friends they turned out to be," said Arson. "Leaving you behind with nothing to eat. We'll bring you something when we get back to our cave."

"Okay," said Serenity. "I'll meet you there." She untied the boat and paddled back down the lake towards her house, happy that she didn't have to paddle all they way to the castle.

She reached her house and pulled the boat alongside the jetty. She tied it down and got out, taking her gear with her up to the house. The sun was well set by now and the moon was out. Serenity went inside the house and set her gear down in a nearby closet. She went downstairs to the Round Table. She sat in King Arthur's throne and set her book on the table.

She scanned the book for several hours, not feeling the least bit sleepy. She lit the glowing crystals so she could still read. BlueSky stopped by with smoked ham, cooked halibut, and bison jerky. She brought enough so Serenity wouldn't go hungry while she was stuck there, at least until her crops grew. Serenity was very grateful. BlueSky left telling Serenity to contact them if she needed more. Serenity ate the ham and jerky, and saved the fish. She only just realized just how hungry she was. She continued to read the book while she ate. She soon came to a diagram of a basic hang glider. It looked like a big triangle on top of a smaller triangle. The book included blueprints and interactions. Satisfied, Serenity marked the place in the book and closed it. She decided to start building it after she got some sleep. She went upstairs and went to bed. She made plans in her head to get the materials from Bluegreen. Being stuck here alone, wasn't so bad now. But she still longed for her family to come home.

The next morning Serenity wrote a letter to Alto, the dragon in charge of Bluegreen when the royal family was abroad. Serenity included what materials were needed and how much was needed. When finished, she sent the letter on its way with a Hermes Dragon. Serenity felt a bit silly, she could have sent a Hermes Dragon to get the flying book. Overlooking it, she ate much needed breakfast.

When finished she went outside to check on her crops, and did a touch of weeding. When she was done with that she went back out on the water in her canoe. She planned to stay out all day. It helped to distract her from her longing. She watched the activity around, over, and beneath the lake. It was mostly dragons, with the occasional giant eagle. They paid little heed to the canoe, and fished around it. Suddenly something silver swam under the boat, followed by another turquoise something. They were human sized and Serenity knew what they were at once, mermaids. Another one swam by that was midnight blue. Serenity was not afraid of them and continued paddling. Then the mermaids came back and surrounded the boat. There were five of them. They seemed to be talking to each other in a dolphin like language. Serenity kept paddling. She was careful to not hit the mermaids with her paddle or the boat.

She stopped paddling for a while and let the boat drift. She watched the activity around the lake. Dragons and giant eagles dove into the water and caught fish. Lord Draco had enchanted the whole country so that all the fish and game never ran out, that there would always be plenty of fish and wildlife to hunt.

Serenity also watched the Lake Dragons come up for air, mermaids swam right beside them. No one was fighting or arguing and that made Serenity slightly happier. But she wasn't completely happy like she was when her family was with her. She watched the dragons and other animals, being with their families. It seemed to corrode her heart away, seeing all the lucky creatures who got to be with their loved ones. Not being able to take the pain any longer, she turned the canoe around and headed back towards the house.

She reached her jetty and tied the boat down. She got out and went towards the house, her hands in her pockets. Suddenly she heard dragons landing on the jetty behind her. She turned around and saw Arson and BlueSky standing there. On BlueSky's back was a baby dragon. He was a rich ruby red with black almond-shaped patches around his pale gold eyes.

"Hey Serenity," said Arson.

"Hi," said Serenity quietly. "You guys are very lucky you know."

"What do you mean?" BlueSky asked.

"You guys have each other," said Serenity, her voice breaking. "No one's trying to separate you." The two dragons exchanged a glance. "Seeing all those creatures with their families, no one trying to separate them. It hurts too much to watch them." Arson nuzzled her shoulder gently.

"You'll have your family back," he said. "They will come back to you."

"But then they'll leave me again," said Serenity. "They have more important things to do, than hang out with me."

"Doesn't mean you're not important to them," said BlueSky. "They really love you and they don't want to loose you." Serenity wiped away her tears.

"I suppose nothing would have made them stay, or take me with them," she said. The two dragons shook their heads. Serenity wrapped her arms around herself.

"You okay?" asked BlueSky. Serenity sighed sadly.

"It hurts," she admitted. "A lot. Everyone around here has someone, and I don't."

"Don't worry, things will change," said Arson. "It'll get better." Just then about five Hermes Dragons flew towards them, carrying some big wooden sticks wrapped it canvas. They set their burden at Serenity's feet.

"For you from Alto," said the one in front.

"Thank you," said Serenity. The Hermes Dragons took off.

"What is that?" asked Arson, looking at the thing.

"A distraction," said Serenity. "You'll see when it's all put together."

"Okay, you going to be okay now?" asked BlueSky.

"For now yes," said Serenity. "But I don't think I could be completely happy without them."

"I don't think I could either," said Arson. "If I was separated from my family."

"We'll let you get to work," said BlueSky. "Let us know when you need something." Serenity just nodded. The two dragons spread their wings and took off. Serenity dried her eyes again and got to work building her hang glider.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It took two days to build the glider. Serenity worked around the clock. She hardly ate or slept. She kept her focus on the glider, and it helped take her mind off the family that left her behind. She built the glider following the blueprints in the flight book, taking the occasional nap. No one bothered her the two days she worked. She worked until she could work no more, and fell asleep on the soft grass.

She woke up the next morning to a perfectly constructed hang glider; made of lightweight wood and canvass. It had triangular wings and stood perched on its triangular control bar. The only thing left to do was to paint the wings. She considered for a moment. She could paint it blue and green, but those colors were all over the place. Then she thought of painting it to remind her of Berk. She smiled when she came up with the perfect paint job. She grabbed the paints that Alto had sent while Serenity was building the glider. Serenity began painting the glider. She painted the right wing black and the left one red. She then painted a white Night Fury skull on the red wing. The glider now resembled Toothless's tail fins.

"Hiccup won't mind," she told herself. "He's never going to see this thing anyway." She picked up the paint cans and carried them inside, deciding to let the paint dry before trying the glider out.

After she ate breakfast and a nap, she was ready to fly the glider. She carried it up the nearest hill, towering over the lake. It was a bit breezy, she could feel the wind lifting the glider. Serenity took a deep breath, hoping the glider would hold itself together. She ran and leapt off the hill, holding the control bar as tight as she could. The wind caught the wings and Serenity found herself gliding smoothly over the water. It was very different from riding a dragon. It was silent and Serenity saw world below. She used her weight to steer the glider, and make it go higher and lower.

Serenity soon mastered the art of flying the glider, she spent all day in the air. Then she was faced with landing it. She'd seen dragons land on the ground. They always kept their eyes on the spot they wanted to land on. Serenity looked towards the hill she'd taken off from and steered the glider towards it. She angled it downwards. When she was low enough over the ground she dangled her feet and touched down. She stumbled and fell onto the grass, the glider not far behind. Serenity got to her feet and stepped away from the glider. She turned and glanced at it. She smiled for the first time in a long while. Flying the glider had been like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It was smooth, silent, graceful, and she was in total control. With the glider and the canoe, the summer was going to go by much faster. She was certain that if her family every came back for her they would be impressed, and not a little proud. She build a glider, and learned to fly all by herself.

"You guys are going to love this thing," she said quietly, giving the glider a delicate pat. She carried the glider back down to the house and set it on the front lawn and tied it down. She went inside and went to bed, exhausted from all the hours she spent building the glider.

The next day she decided to take out her canoe, not wanting to neglect one item for another. She hopped in and paddled out of the cove. She paddled the canoe clear out to the middle of the lake, then let it drift. The lake was pretty quiet today. It was also very warm. She dipped her fingers into the water. It was cold, but not freezing. She considered going swimming later that night. She lowered herself onto the very bottom of the canoe and laid her head on the seat. She closed her eyes and let the water rock her to sleep.

She was suddenly woken up by the sound of a Night Fury approaching the lake. Serenity quickly sat up and saw the riders of Berk heading her way, the Draconians right behind them. At first Serenity thought she was dreaming. But then the dragons zoomed low over her. Serenity ducked, but leaned on the side of the boat too far causing it to capsize. Serenity splashed into the water, under the boat. She swam out from under it and to the surface. She coughed and pulled her wet hair out of her eyes. She treaded water and looked up to see the riders and dragons still there. They circled overhead. Serenity swam back to the overturned canoe and flipped it right side up. She grabbed the mooring line, to prevent the boat from drifting away. But all of a sudden she was pulled out of the water by Hookfang, carried high over the water. Serenity struggled.

"Put me down Hookfang," she ordered, sharply. Hookfang let go and Serenity fell towards the water. There suddenly came the whistle of a diving Night Fury. Serenity landed on Windwalker's back and felt strong arms around her. She opened her eyes, having closed them when she was falling. She saw Chris smiling at her.

"You're here," she said, surprised.

"Yes we're here," said Chris. "The Berkians could tell that we missed you a lot. So they decided to send the summer here, so we wouldn't have to be separated." Serenity smiled and sighed with relief. "Not to mention the fact that the dragonets refused to train or spar without a dragon healer." The dragons turned and headed for the hill Serenity had launched her glider from. They landed and the riders dismounted. Serenity began wringing out her wet hair. Then she remembered her canoe.

"Oh, my canoe," she said. She quickly ran to the edge of the hill and saw her canoe still floating in the water.

"I'll go get it," said Aurora. She took off and retrieved the canoe. Meanwhile the others made their way down to the lawn in front of the house. The first thing they saw was the hang glider.

"What is that?" asked Hiccup, pointing at it.

"That's my new hang glider," said Serenity. "I built it all by myself."

"Interesting colors," Hiccup said. Serenity gave a sheepish shrug.

"I can change it," she said.

"No, it's okay," said Hiccup. He walked around the glider, admiring it. The other Berkians were interested in the glider as well. The Draconinan dragons, however, looked at it with deepest dislike. Chris looked like he wasn't sure how to feel about it. Serenity became nervous.

"Have you flown it yet?" asked Astrid.

"Yesterday," said Serenity.

"That thing actually flies?" asked Snotlout.

"Yes," said Serenity.

"Where'd you learn to build it?" asked Hiccup.

"From a book full of blueprints of flying machines," said Serenity. "This was the easiest."

"Can we see it fly?" asked Tuffnut, excitedly. Serenity considered. Now that her family had returned she really didn't see the need to fly the glider.

"Well, alright," she said. "Meet me at the top of that hill you landed on." She pointed it out. The riders and their dragons made their way up the hill. Serenity untied the glider and followed them. The Draconians exchanged a glance.

"Why would she build a hang glider when she has us?" Tenor asked.

"That's not all she's done," Chris said, pointing at the plowed ground around the house. Some of the crops and flowers had started to grow.

"Still the hang glider wasn't necessary," said Re.

"You're not going to destroy it are you?" asked Chris.

"No," said Re. "Not yet. I will ask her to put it away, but if she continues to fly it I may destroy it. It's things like that that will put dragons out of business."

"Perhaps when Serenity finishes flying it, she could focus on feeding herself," said Windwalker. "She's not looking so good."

"Good thinking," said Aurora. "I've notice that too. She must have spent all her time on that glider."

"No good will come from that thing," said Re boldly. "I'm almost certain of that." He laid down on the grass. The others joined him. Chris glanced up the hill where the Berkians were gathered. He wondered what going to happen Serenity now.

Up on the hill Serenity finally reached the top with the glider. The riders waited, eager to see the glider fly. They stood back to give Serenity room to take off. Without saying a word Serenity ran and leapt off the hill. The glider soared over the water. The riders watched in amazement. Serenity steered it back towards the hill, and circled over it.

"You guys coming up?" she called. The riders quickly mounted their dragons and took off. They flew beside the glider, giving it plenty of room. Hiccup was very interested in the glider. It reminded him of his flight suit. He wondered if Serenity would let him fly the glider afterwords.

They turned and headed back to the hill. The riders let the glider land first, then landed beside it. Serenity dusted herself off.

"Very interesting indeed," said Hiccup.

"I haven't mastered landing gracefully yet," said Serenity.

"But does this mean you won't be riding dragons anymore?" asked Fishlegs.

"I'll still ride dragons, when they have time," said Serenity. "Besides, this glider was not intended to replace dragons. I can't really travel with it, nor can it carry any camping gear. So I'll only fly it around this lake, and when I'm here by myself."

"Can I fly it?" asked Hiccup.

"We want to fly it too," said the Twins in unison. This started an uproar from the other riders, all wanting to fly the glider. Serenity stood there looking quite amused, she'd never been this popular before. Then she emitted a sharp, loud, shrill, whistle, that shut them up almost at once.

"You can all fly it one time if you think you can," she said. Then they got in an argument about who would go first. Serenity whistled again and the quieted down.

"I'll decide who goes first," she said. She glanced around at them all for a few minuets. Hiccup was the only one who had not taken part in the arguments. She decided to let him go first.

She gave them a quick lesson on how to fly the glider. Then Hiccup took off with the glider. Serenity watched from beside the riders' dragons. Toothless nuzzled her. Serenity absentmindedly stroked him behind his ears, making him melt into her touch. Serenity couldn't be happier being around her friends. Her family was still down by the house. They clearly didn't have any interest in the glider. This confused her a bit. They wanted her to be independent; but they didn't seem to like the independent life she'd started. Hookfang seemed to read her mind.

"They don't seem to like this glider," he said.

"I thought this was what they wanted," said Serenity. "For me to be independent and be on my own. Chris at least doesn't straight up hate the glider."

"Those dragons have an odd way for showing you that they like you," said Hookfang. "They leave you behind with no family. You try to make the best of it, then they come back and they don't like it. It seems they only want you to live the way they tell you."

"They don't want me to get hurt," said Serenity. "Besides, they're all natural born leaders and have accomplished big things in their life. I'm just a healer."

"You have the most important job of them all," said Toothless. "They owe you their lives." At that moment the riders finished with the glider. Thankfully no one had crashed. Serenity went over to them.

"Thanks Serenity," said Hiccup.

"Sure," Serenity said. "I'll meet you back at the house. I want to fly it one more time before I put it way."

"Why would you put it away?" asked Hiccup.

"I don't need if the dragons are here," said Serenity. "It sure would make them a lot happier." She looked in the direction of her family. She picked up the glider and took off. The riders and dragons made their way down to the house.

They all watched Serenity fly the glider over the lake. Then she turned and headed towards the house. She flew lower and lower, until she touched down on her front lawn. She stumbled a bit then set the glider down. She stepped away from it and stretched.

"Very impressive flying," said Re, sourly. Serenity turned to face him, slightly nervous.

"You don't don't like the glider do you?" she said, her voice was shaky. "Don't worry, I'm putting it away now."

"Why did you build it?" asked Aurora, slightly hurt. "We were coming back for you." Serenity sighed.

"Arson and BlueSky didn't have a whole lot of time to take me flying," said Serenity. "And I was really missing it. So I built this glider and would fly it until you guys came back. You're here now, so I don't need it." She carried the glider over and placed it beside the house. She turned back to the dragons and held her hand up in innocent surrender. They relaxed a bit.

"I didn't replace you, I swear," she said. The dragons didn't look convinced. Chris however, was looking Serenity up and down. He noticed that she wasn't looking so good. She'd lost a lot of weight and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked. "You look hungry." Serenity looked down at herself.

"My crops aren't ready yet," she said. She gestured to her crops, which had just started growing.

"You're going to starve to death before they're ready," Chris said.

"I haven't any other food," said Serenity.

"Didn't you look in your cabinets?" asked Aurora. Serenity paused and then went into the house.

She went into the kitchen and opened the cabinets. She found them full of bread, fruit, meat, and cheese. There was enough to last her the whole summer. Serenity felt awfully silly. Just then Chris entered the room and she looked at him sheepishly.

"Oh," she said. Chris smiled at her

"We weren't going to let you starve to death," he said. Serenity yawned.

"You don't hate my glider do you?" she asked.

"I don't hate it no," Chris said. "I don't think it was necessary, but I certainly don't hate it."

"I was really missed flying," said Serenity.

"I know, I would too," Chris said. "But flying is even better if you haven't done it after a while." He turned his attention to the fire place in the living room. He could tell it had never been lit. Serenity followed his gaze.

"I've never lit a fire before," she said.

"Huh, you know I haven't either," Chris said. Serenity gave him a small smile, feeling slightly better. She walked closer to him.

"Thank you for coming back," she said quietly. Chris wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks for waiting," he said. Serenity yawned again. "You tired?"

"Yes," said Serenity. "But it's not sundown yet."

"That's okay," said Chris. "I'm feeling a bit jet lagged." He carefully guided her towards the bedroom.

"Hopefully by the time I wake up again, the dragons won't be so mad at me," said Serenity.

"When someone gets mad at you, it's best to just stay out of their way," Chris said. "Eventually they come round." They made it to the bedroom. The sun was just starting to set, nevertheless they both changed into their night clothes and got into bed. Serenity fell asleep in seconds, her sleepless nights finally catching up to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The two humans slept all though the night, and clear into the next day. Chris woke up before Serenity. He got up and got dressed, leaving his jacket since the day was warm. He then sat on the bed beside Serenity, she didn't even move. She looked slightly better. Chris gently shook her and she opened her eyes. When she saw Chris she smiled and stretched.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Better than I did my first few nights here," said Serenity, sitting up. "I haven't slept by myself since I was a child."

"Me neither," Chris said. "This was hard for me too." Serenity smiled with relief. She then glanced towards the front door and the outside world.

"You think they're still mad at me?" she asked.

"They might still be a bit sour," said Chris.

"I should cover that glider with a tarp, so they don't have to look at it," said Serenity. She rushed to get out of bed, but tripped on the loose sheets. Chris caught her before she hit the ground.

"Why the hurry?" he asked. "I think they can handle having it out while you eat breakfast."

"I guess I'm anxious to get back on the dragons' good side," Serenity said, sitting back down on the bed. "I know better than to anger a dragon."

"Are you afraid of them?" asked Chris.

"A bit, at least when they're so mad," said Serenity. She got back up and headed for the closet.

Later after a breakfast of bread and cheese, Serenity went outside and tinkered with the glider. She wanted it to be ready for flying the next time her family left her. She watched the young Draconians run around the lawn, and running in and out of the shallow water. Serenity felt better now that she wasn't alone. She worked quietly.

She was half way through tightening the screws, when Hiccup came up with Toothless at his heels.

"Hello boys," said Serenity.

"You going to fly that again?" Hiccup asked.

"My dragons are here, I don't need it," said Serenity. "I'm putting it away until the next time the leave me again." Toothless nudged her shoulder and Serenity stroked behind his ears.

"You seem to be making things harder for yourself," Hiccup said. "You're not a fighter and you hate being left behind. Maybe if you picked up a skill that could help in battle, that isn't fighting."

"You mean like healing?" Serenity asked.

"Well, yeah, but apart from healing," Hiccup corrected. "Like scouting or search and rescue."

"Those things require a dragon," said Serenity. "I'm no longer fortunate to have a dragon by my side all the time like everyone else is. Those are good suggestions though."

"There are thousands of dragons in this country," Hiccup said. "I'me sure one of them could be a loyal companion for you."

"Yeah," Serenity agreed. "Maybe." She didn't sound convinced.

"I understand your dislike for fighting, trust me I do," said Hiccup. "I don't like hurting anyone either. I've had to win battles the hard way."

"I know," said Serenity. "I suppose I could be more interactive in battle." She grabbed the tarp and pulled it over the glider.

"Do you want to fly it again?" Hiccup asked, bringing the subject back to the glider.

"I do," said Serenity. "But not today." She secured the tarp so it wouldn't blow away in the wind." When done, she went to find the dragons.

She found them on the shore of the lake, a short ways from the house. They were knee-deep in the shallow water looking for frogs and newts, also grazing on the water weeds. Serenity sat on a flat rock, half of which was in the water. She laid on her front so she could see down into the clear water. She watched the fish and frogs. The dragons paid her no heed as they continued looking for snacks. Then Serenity got a sudden urge to go out on her canoe. She jumped to her feet and ran back to the house. Chris was currently showing the Berkian riders how to immobilize a dragon using the pressure points. Serenity paid them no mind and ran right to her canoe. She jumped in and paddled the boat towards the spot where the dragons were. She figured it would be a nice gesture for the dragons seeing her use the present they'd given her.

She reached the spot and paddle the canoe as close to the shore as she could. The dragons looked up as she got closer.

"Thanks for the boat," said Serenity.

"You're welcome," said Aurora. "Say the Berkians and ourselves are having a campfire party tonight, you want to join us?" Serenity considered.

"Alright," she said. "It'll be something to look forward to." The Queen smiled and went back to looking for frogs. Serenity paddled the canoe onward.

She spent the rest of the day in the canoe. She only came ashore when it was lunchtime. Serenity felt young again, spending all day out doors only come in for lunch. Before long the sun set and the others had gathered around a campfire on the shore. Serenity paddled the canoe to the dock and tied it down. She got out and went to join them. She sat next to Chris, who was sitting next to Windwalker. The fire was already lit, and getting bigger. There were crates around filled with different kinds of fish, frogs, newts, chicken legs, sausages, and chunks of buffalo and boar.

"Does anyone know any scary stories?" asked Snotlout. "I could use a good scare right now." Serenity figured someone was going to ask this sooner or later.

"I know one," said Aurora. "Since you all know I can see the future, I can tell you this one."

"You mean this hasn't happened yet?" asked Astrid.

"Correct," said Aurora. "It's a few centuries away."

"Let's hear it then," said Hiccup. Aurora made herself comfortable, crossing her front legs.

"It's called the Black Death," she said. She stopped and waited.

"The Black Death?" said Snotlout. "Is this yet another giant dragon we don't know about?"

"This is way worse than a dragon," said Aurora. "The Black Death is a disease, highly contagious and very deadly. The symptoms include high fever, coughing up blood, huge black warts called buboes on the neck and armpits that can get as big as an apple. It takes about 24 hours to kill you. There will be no cure, no predicting it, and no stopping it. The disease will start in the far east and move westward. When it hits Europe it will spread very quickly. Villages the size of Berk will be wiped out within a week or two. It will drive the human race to do terrible things to each other; mostly massacre. Two hundred million men, women, and children will die from this disease." She stopped again, and the atmosphere was quiet.

"Wow, that's intense," said Hiccup. "When will it happen?"

"I can't see when exactly it will start," said Aurora. "All I know is that it will start well after the Viking Age." Suddenly Serenity coughed loudly. They all jumped and looked at her. She looked at them rather sheepishly.

"Sorry," she said in a small voice. She coughed again.

"You okay?" Chris said.

"Yes, it's just the smoke," said Serenity, fanning away the smoke from the campfire. Aurora sat up and fanned away the smoke with her wings, then relit the fire. She settled back down. Just then some of the humans yawned. By now half of the food was gone.

After the fire was put out the group disbursed. Chris, Serenity, Edelweiss, and Black Widow went into the house and went to bed. Serenity found it a bit harder to fall asleep however. She spent some of the night coming up with things to do tomorrow. She planned to hopefully fly on a dragon again, then go back out on her canoe. Soon she ran out of things to think about, and could still not fall asleep. She turned on her side, facing Chris who was asleep. She scooted closer to him. Chris was one of the heaviest sleepers she'd ever met. Serenity kissed his cheek then turned onto her other side. She still couldn't fall asleep and dawn was getting closer. So she decided to get up and take a nap when she did feel sleepy.

Being careful to not wake Chris, she got out of bed and headed for the closet. She changed into a yellow tunic and kaki trousers. She quietly left the room and then the house. It was barely light outside. Serenity went down to the dock and untied the canoe. She hopped in and paddled out of the cove. The lake was very calm. Fireflies and ferries hovered and buzzed over the water. Serenity paddled the canoe until her arms got tired. She stopped and let the boat drift. She laid in the bottom again and rested her head on the seat. She still didn't feel sleepy.

She let her mind go back to the times when she traveled the world on a dragon. She wished she could travel again. There were several dragons she still wanted to meet and still several places she hadn't seen yet like Antarctica, or the islands of the Pacific Ocean, or the Rain Forests.

Back in the house, several hours later Chris woke up and found Serenity missing. He instantly grew concerned. He jumped out of bed and ran outside. He was quick to notice the missing canoe. At that moment Re landed beside him.

"Something wrong?" Re asked.

"Serenity's out on the water, she must have snuck off earlier this morning," Chris said. Re sighed in frustration.

"I'll find her," he said. He spread his wings and took off. He flew low over the water. He soon saw the brightly colored canoe. Serenity was still dozing off in the bottom. This made Re angry. She was still underweight and the fact that she was out here so early, meant that she hadn't slept. Serenity wasn't taking very good care of herself and they only way she would remain in good health was if she had someone around all the time. Re hovered over the canoe.

"SERENITY!" he roared. Serenity sat up quickly, making the boat rock violently. Re glared down at her.

"Why are you out here so early?" Re asked sternly.

"I couldn't sleep," said Serenity. Re hissed.

"Get back to shore, now," he ordered. Serenity obeyed and paddled back to the dock. She knew she knew she was in trouble, and she was terrified. She thought about running into the house before Re could scold her, but Re was faster than her.

She soon reached the dock and tied down the canoe, her hands trembling. The last time she was in this much trouble she'd been beaten with a shovel and thrown out to die. She got out of the canoe and Re landed on the dock in front of her. He glared down at Serenity.

"Serenity, you're not a child anymore," he said. "You should be able to take better care of yourself. I don't understand why you have to have someone around all the time in order for you to be in good health. Why were you putting off sleep?"

"I missed you guys," Serenity squeaked. She was waiting for him to maul her to death with claws, teeth, and flames. Re growled in frustration.

"Serenity, you can't expect things to always go your way," he said, his voice getting louder and scarier. "I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you this. We'er not going to be around you all the time. So you're going to have to toughen up and face the reality that you're on your own now and going to have take care of yourself. If you can't do that, then I don't know what to do with you." Serenity took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She didn't dare burst into tears in front of the angry dragon. Re grabbed her face in his paw, forcing her to look him in the eye. Serenity felt his talons digging into her cheeks.

"Now get back inside that house," Re ordered. "And stay there until we call for you." He shoved her towards the house, harder than he meant. Serenity stumbled and hit the dock, supporting her cheeks were cut and bleeding.

"And don't let me catch you flying that glider through my skies," Re roared. Serenity scrambled to her feet and rushed towards the house as fast as she could. She hoped Chis was still there waiting for her. She kept her tears at bay until she was safely inside. She shut the door and leaned against it. She took several deep breaths.

"Chris! You in here?" she called, her voice breaking. She got no answer. She sighed and went to the bedroom, which was empty. She took her medical bag out from under the bed. She went into the kitchen and set the bag on the counter. She found her jar of Night Fury saliva, a cloth, and a large mirror. She looked at herself in the mirror, to get a look at her wound. Only the right cheek was scratched up. There were four huge scratches, all bleeding and stinging. She soaked the cloth in the Night Fury saliva, and held it to her cheek, pressing it down. She went into the living room, taking the mirror with her, and sat on the sofa. She just sat there and let the Night Fury saliva disinfect the scratches. She was starting to feel faint and nauseous. She took several deep breaths to try and clear her head and calm herself down.

Suddenly the front door opened and closed. Serenity sat up, realizing she'd been falling asleep. She shook herself awake.

"Chris! Is that you?" she called. But it was Hiccup who came into the room. Serenity was surprised. "I don't suppose you vikings have rules about knocking before you enter." She asked.

"No, not really," said Hiccup. "At least not when we are good friends with the person. Anyway, are you okay? I heard all that."

"I'm okay," said Serenity. "It's pretty lucky that I know two people who ride Night Furies." She removed the cloth and looked at herself in the mirror again. The scratches were still bleeding, there were bloodstains on the cloth. She used a clean part of the cloth to wipe the excess blood off her cheek. Hiccup had taken the liberty of fetching her medical bag and placing it next to her.

"Thanks," Serenity said. She got out a strip of gauze and surgical tape. She taped the gauze to her cheek. When she was finished she leaned back on the sofa.

"So, are you going to fly the glider again?" Hiccup asked. Serenity looked at him in surprise.

"You heard what Re said," she exclaimed. "He'd get so angry if I disobeyed him."

"Let be rephrase that," said Hiccup. "Do you want to fly the glider again?"

"Yes I do," said Serenity. "I love flying it, as much as I like flying dragons."

"Then why not do something rebellious for once in your life?" Hiccup said. "Better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission." Serenity sighed, looking a bit nervous.

"Well, okay," she said. "I don't suppose you know where Chris and Windwalker went."

"They're making sure the Twins don't burn down the forest," Hiccup said. "And that the wild dragons are left undisturbed."

"Oh, so they're out there flying?" Serenity asked. Hiccup nodded. Serenity got to her feet, the nausea was going away.

They went outside. Serenity looked around, Re was no where in sight. She hurried over to the glider and uncovered it. Hiccup rejoined Toothless who had been waiting in the shade of a nearby tree. They flew off and joined their friends. Serenity untied the glider from the ground and walked it up the hill. There was a strong breeze that lifted the glider, as though it were eager to take off. Serenity reached the top and looked around again. Re still wasn't in sight. She knew she would get in trouble again. But she still missed flying, and maybe her other friends would back her up. Slightly comforted by this possibility, she took off and glided over the lake. She passed some of the other dragons.

Little did she know that Re was watching her from above. His insides boiled with rage and fury. Serenity had disobeyed him; she's left the house and she was flying the glider. Re didn't want that thing in his skies. He growled with pure anger and dived after her at high speed. When he was in range he roared and shot fire at the glider, setting it ablaze. Serenity began choking on the smoke and the glider rapidly fell towards the ground. Serenity began to panic.

"Help!" she cried, her voice weak from inhaling smoke. Thankfully Chris and Windwalker had seen the commotion and flew to the rescue. Re opened his mouth for another blast.

"Dad no!" Chris cried. Thinking fast Windwalker unlocked her titan wing and shot a powerful plasma blast at the king. It hit him in the head, knocking him out. Chris felt the blast as well, experiencing a throbbing headache. But quickly forgot about it when Serenity cried for help again. The glider was fully engulfed in flames. Chris quickly steered Windwalker after her. They sped after the doomed glider, quickly catching up with it. They could hear Serenity coughing and struggling to breathe.

"Serenity!" Chris called.

"Chris!" Serenity choked out as loud as she could.

"Hang on!" Chris called back. He steered Windwalker underneath the glider, smoke, and flames. Serenity didn't look injured but she did look terrified.

"Let go we'll catch you!" Chris called. He could see the pure fear in her eyes. The ground was rapidly approaching. Serenity let go of the control bar and she fell away from the burning glider. Chris and Windwalker dived after her. Windwalker managed to snag her right leg, dragging her though the air backwards.

At long last they landed in front of the little blue house. Windwalker carefully set Serenity down on the grass before landing herself. Chris jumped off and ran to Serenity's side. She was still having trouble breathing. She coughed and jus lay there trying to catch her breath. Chris knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. Serenity didn't answer. But sat up and tried to calm herself. Chris sat on the ground and let her lean on him. He then turned to Windwalker.

"Go find my mother, quickly," he said. Windwalker nodded and took off without another word. Chris turned back to Serenity, as she started to calm down.

"Thanks," she gasped out.

"Are you hurt?" Chris asked.

"No," said Serenity. She calmed down more and more. She now felt exhausted. Just then Windwalker returned with the queen. Aurora was instantly concerned.

"What happened this time?" she asked.

"She was flying on her glider and Dad shot her down," Chris said. Aurora closed her eyes in shame.

"He really hates those things," she said. "Serenity flying one makes him think she has no use of dragons anymore."

"That's not true," said Serenity. "I love you guys." When she turned to face Aurora, the queen was quick to notice the scratches on her face.

"What did you do to your face?" Aurora asked. "Re hurt you didn't he?" Serenity just nodded. Everyone was sad and shocked by this. Chris hugged her tightly. Windwalker shifted guiltily.

"I never meant for this to happen," she said. "I made the suggestion to leave her here, so she wouldn't get hurt anymore." Aurora took a deep breath.

"It appears that that idea didn't work," she said. "I'll go find Re and revive him, he owes you an apology." She spread her wings and took off. Chris and Windwalker helped Serenity to her feet. She seemed to be recovering steadily. She looked at Chris and gave him a grateful kiss on the cheek.

Soon the riders of Berk came back for the night, Aurora, Re, and Tenor soon followed. Serenity stood on her own too feet. She wobbled a bit but stayed standing. She looked Re right in the eye. Suddenly she glared at him.

"Re, I don't appreciate being treated like a prisoner!" she said boldly, her voice got louder with every word. "I don't understand why you're being so hypocritical and selfish. You wanted me to live independent, yet you shoot me out of the sky like a dragon trapper and deny me my freedom. You also abuse me like my original family did. I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS ABUSE, I WILL NOT BE YOUR SLAVE OR PRISONER! You can kill me if you want to, because I would rather be dead than in bondage again!" Everyone was taken aback by this, Re included. Serenity was usually so quiet and obedient. Her fists were clenched and she stood at her full height. Re was at a loss for words.

"I'll be inside if you need me," Serenity said, still very angry. She turned on her heels and went inside the house, slamming the door and making a loud, angry THUD! Everyone was very quiet.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Tenor said, overly excited. "Who knew Serenity, of all people, had the guts to stand up for herself." Aurora turned to Re.

"She's right you know," said the queen. "We have been treating her like a prisoner." Re sighed.

"You're right," he said. "And I'm very sorry for all that I've done to her. I guess I was just upset that I had to leave her behind."

"Well, I don't want to leave her again," said Chris.

"I don't either," Tenor added. At that moment Hiccup and Astrid stepped forward.

"If we may make a suggestion," said Hiccup. "Why not let Serenity, Chris, Edelweiss, and all their dragons live in this house during the winter, then bring them all up to the Archipelago, Serenity included. When you guys go into the arena, Tenor takes her out flying early in the morning like Toothless and I do. Then he could drop her off on Berk before joining you guys, that way she can do her job. I'm pretty sure she'd be much happier. We would keep her busy until you guys were finished." Re and Aurora turned to Tenor.

"You okay with that Tenor?" Re asked.

"Yes," Tenor said. "If it meant she never had to be alone again."

"I'll go see what she thinks," Chris said. "Hopefully she's cooled off by now." He went into the house.

He found Serenity in the living room, pacing. She still looked under stress. She turned when she saw Chris standing there. She didn't look angry, she looked sheepish again She gave him a tiny smile.

"That was pretty impressive," said Chris, proudly. Serenity bit her lip nervously.

"What's happening to me Chris?" she asked.

"You're becoming your own person," Chris said. "It's nothing bad."

"Well, okay," said Serenity. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be a fighter." Chris put his hands up in surrender.

"That's totally fine," he said. "Speaking up, and standing up for yourself is not fighting. You don't like the way you're being treated and you say so, that's not fighting." He approached her and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest.

"I'm so proud of you," he said. Serenity smiled wider, she couldn't deny that she felt proud of herself too. They pulled apart, but just a little bit. Chris held her face in his hands, and stared into her eyes.

"Man, I thought I had you all figured out," he said. "But you took me completely by surprise." He then pressed his lips to hers. Serenity wrapped her arms around his neck, the kiss made her feel a lot better. They broke apart after a few minuets. Serenity hugged him again.

"You should come back outside," Chris said. "Dad has something he wants to tell you, and we've come up with a solution to all of this." Serenity stepped back.

"Okay," she said. She followed him outside where the others waited.

Everyone looked up when they came out. Chris took Serenity's hand held it firmly. Re approached them. He no longer looked angry. He looked Serenity in the eye.

"Serenity, I'm very sorry for attacking you and hurting you," Re said. Serenity smiled warmly at him. She let go of Chris's hand and threw her arms around the green dragon's neck.

"I forgive you Re," she said, in her honey sweet voice. "I'm sorry too." Re wrapped his wings around her.

"Don't worry, we have a plan to set you free," he said. "And you won't be alone so much." Serenity stepped back and rejoined Chris.

They told her Hiccup's idea. And Serenity liked the sound of it better than being left behind all alone. She smiled when they finished.

"Now that we know you are capable of handling yourself," said Aurora. "We won't be able to be around all the time, but we can for most of the time."

"Once a weak?" Serenity asked. "Or everyday?" Re and Aurora exchanged a glance.

"Once a weak," said Re. "You think you can handle that?"

"Yes sir," said Serenity, her voice was noticeably stronger. She looked around at the others in the group. "Thank you." Then she yawned.

"Now, will you please get some rest?" Re asked. "You look beyond exhausted." Serenity smiled sleepily. She turned and went back inside again. Chris followed, and they both went back to sleep. For the first time in a long time, Serenity fell asleep with a confident smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Over the next several days, Tenor noticed that Serenity was a lot happier. Her crops finally grew with some help from Aurora, along with her flowers. Edelweiss was very excited to see the flower she was named after. She had to fight the urge to pick them. The whole side yard of the house was covered in a rainbow of flowers. Serenity brought in her harvest. She was eating and sleeping again, and had gotten her strength back. The hang glider was long forgotten. Tenor, along with everyone else, was pleased that she was looking better.

Tenor looked at the flowers in the yard. The air around them was filled with a sweet aroma. This gave Tenor an idea. He went to look for Windwalker. He found her getting a drink from the lakeside.

"Hey, Windwalker," he said, very excitedly. She looked up at him.

"What are you so excited about?" she asked curiously.

"I want to show you something," he said. Without waiting for a response he took off. He looked over his wings, and say Windwalker speeding after him.

They left the lake and headed east. They flew low over the hills and trees. Windwalker was about to ask how much farther it was, when Tenor landed in a small clearing in the middle of the forest.

"What's so special about this place?" Windwalker asked.

"We haven't gotten to the place yet," said Tenor "From here we walk, I want to keep it a surprise." With that he headed off into the forest, Windwalker followed. It was a fairly easy hike. They went through the forest until light appeared ahead. Tenor stopped and grinned mischievously.

"Now what?" Windwalker asked.

"Now, you close your eyes," said Tenor. Windwalker just looked at him, doubtfully. Tenor sat on his haunches and waited. Finally Windwalker shut her eyes.

"Walk straight a head until I say, your way is clear," Tenor said. Windwalker walked forward, cautiously. She could hear Tenor walk beside her.

After what felt like ages, Tenor told her to stop and open her eyes. She did and saw tall, rolling hills covered in millions and millions of different colored wildflowers. Windwalker and Tenor were standing on a small bluff, up to their knees in wildflowers. Windwalker looked around at the hills, which looked like they'd been painted in vibrant colors. Not only did it all look pretty, but it also smelled very sweet. Windwalker was speechless.

"What is this place?" she asked, when she found her voice again.

"It's called Rainbow Hills," said Tenor. "I was hunting one night in this area. When dawn was approaching I was too tired to fly back to the castle, so I landed in a dark clearing and fell asleep. When I woke up, this is what I saw. It's my favorite place in the country."

"This is quite something to wake up to," said Windwalker.

"Indeed," Tenor agreed. He laid down in the soft grass and flowers. Windwalker laid beside him and nibbled his neck.

"It's good that Serenity's finally happy again," she said.

"Yeah, I plan to keep her that way," said Tenor.

"Have you shown her this place? asked Windwalker.

"I have," said Tenor. "But she now has a little piece of it in her yard."

"When's the last time you took her flying?" asked Windwalker. Tenor thought back.

"Ages ago," he said. "I have a job to do, I no longer have time to take her flying." He seemed sad by the thought.

"You were Prime Minister before she became your rider," said Windwalker.

"Not that job," said Tenor.

"Oh, I see," said Windwalker.

"Now a days Serenity doesn't fly unless she has a patient to get to," Tenor said. "It's a shame, she loves to travel."

"Where did the two of you go?" asked Windwalker.

"All over Europe," said Tenor. "The Himalayan mountain range, Egypt, Rome, Greece, the Indian jungle, the African savanna, the middle east, we've even been as far as Australia and met the Megalania dragon."

"Some life," said Windwalker. "She must miss it." Tenor nodded.

"She loved it," he said. "There's still places she wants to go. South America, Antarctica, and the islands of the Pacific. Places where we don't have to worry about advanced weaponry." Windwalker nuzzled him again.

"When the dragonets have unlocked their titan wing, you're be able to take her anywhere you want," she said. "There maybe a place out there that's as lovely as this." She gestured towards the colored hills.

"Perhaps," said Tenor.

"That was pretty impressive what she did," said Windwalker. "Standing up to a dragon king." Tenor beamed with pride.

"Yup, we've rubbed off on her," he said. "I'm happy that she's part of the family."

"So am I," said Windwalker. "Serenity seems to be there precisely when you need her. Several of my friends were fatally injured during the Song war. I was so sure I was going to have to watch them die in agony, but she came and saved them."

"Yup," Tenor agreed. "I once got a bad case of dragon flu, she was at my side in a flash. She's a real angel. Everyone's in good heath when she's around." Windwalker murmured in agreement. She then laid her head on Tenor's shoulder and looked out at the colorful hills. She entwined her tail around his. They looked at the Rainbow Hills until it got too dark to see them. Then they took off and headed out hunting.

Back inside the little blue house, Chris and Serenity got into bed. Chris wrapped his arm around her, and she snuggled close to him. She couldn't have been happier. The little house and the lake felt more like home. She made herself comfortable, kissed Chris on the cheek, and fell asleep.


End file.
